How One Destroyer Crew Sank 12 Japanese Ships Using Only Starshells and Ramming

How One Destroyer Crew Sank 12 Japanese Ships Using Only Starshells and Ramming

Witness the most impossible naval battle of WWII: USS Johnston's 92-minute stand against the Japanese Center Force at the Battle off Samar, October 25th, 1944. After expending all torpedoes and conventional ammunition, Commander Ernest E. Evans and his crew continued fighting using only starshells—illumination rounds—to blind Japanese optical rangefinders. When even that wasn't enough, Johnston rammed a 15,000-ton heavy cruiser with her 2,050-ton hull. This is the true story of the destroyer that fought with light when she ran out of bullets, and changed naval warfare forever.
USS Johnston engaged 12 Japanese warships including the battleship Yamato, proving that determination and tactical innovation can overcome impossible odds. Commander Evans received the Medal of Honor posthumously. The ship's wreck, discovered in 2019 at 20,406 feet, remains the deepest shipwreck ever found.

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Historical Sources:
"Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" by James D. Hornfischer - Comprehensive account of the Battle off Samar with detailed interviews from Johnston survivors and analysis of tactical decisions.
US Navy Action Reports: Commander Task Unit 77.4.3 (Taffy 3), October 25-26, 1944 - Official after-action reports documenting Johnston's engagement sequence and damage assessment.
"The Battle off Samar: Taffy III at Leyte Gulf" by Robert Jon Cox - Detailed tactical analysis including Japanese perspective from post-war interviews with Center Force officers.
National Archives Records Group 38: Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, War Diaries and Action Reports - Primary source documentation of Johnston's combat history and Medal of Honor citation materials.